The EU are proposing laws to fit every new car with a tracking device. The idea is that if an airbag is deployed the car will automatically alert the emergency services. A lot of people are opposed to this as they say your speed can be monitored, they know were you have been etc. Here's the link.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-26...ology.html

What are peoples views on this?? Is it big brother gone to far? Or will there be benefits?? Will the system track your car if it is stolen?? Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
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My view is that people shouldn't believe everything they read in the Daily Mail.

In fact, they shouldn't read the Daily Mail at all... Steve

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Interesting stuff, I have to wonder if the timing of the slightly hysterical toned article has anything to do with the forthcoming Euro Elections?

It says the device is triggered if an airbag is deployed, bit of a quantum leap to then having the whole police, state, insurance and other authorities tracking your every move!! The point is wasted anyway as the police and state can already track everyone with a switched on mobile phone should they choose to and few people seem to lose any sleep about that.

Like a lot of things though I think it's a development I would rather did not take place as the extra potential for surveillance is not welcomed in my view. The Nanny State should be told to s d off.

In GB not many people have accidents out of sight or view of others so usually someone around to alert emergency services. In Europe there are many very quiet areas and much lower population density so conceivably the alert device could save lives

Well, as it is coming from the EU, the EU law has to be supreme hence MP's are saying they can't do anything about it. Members of the EU don't have a right to sit back and say yes we will opt in to that law or opt out of that one, otherwise there would not be uniformity of application throughout the union. Not saying I am pro-EU, that's just the way it is.

You can't really argue a human rights infringement either. The only privacy related argument is under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights which is a right to respect for a private and family life. That right is qualified not absolute and can be interfered with by the state in accordance with the derogation's laid out in the article, so long as such an interference is proportionate to the legitimate aim.

The aim is (publicly at least) to help save lives with the technology. Life is an absolute human right under Article 2 of the convention and thus blows any article 8 argument out of the water.

So in a nutshell, it is probably a smokescreen for shenanigans but there's not a lot we can do about it. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

Will the so-called link when an airbag is deployed just be to a GPS coordinate to truly send a call for help or will it be logged to a specific vehicle that can be monitored at other times? If the reason they are giving is true, there's no problem with just giving the GPS coordinate for emergency use but if linked to a vehicle, there is the potential for big brother to rear his ugly head! Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
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what get put into a vehicle can be taken out Ex 2010 Freelander2 GS-e Diesel manual Silver owner

[quote="The Doctor"]Well, as it is coming from the EU, the EU law has to be supreme hence MP's are saying they can't do anything about it. Members of the EU don't have a right to sit back and say yes we will opt in to that law or opt out of that one, otherwise there would not be uniformity of application throughout the union. Not saying I am pro-EU, that's just the way it is./quote]

Incorrect Doc

Member states can and do negotiate "Opt-Out" clauses to statutory legislation across many fields of activity. As this thread is discussing motoring I will quote just one by drawing your attention to the current opt-out adopted by Westminster, Eire and Denmark re the right of EU police forces to exchange number plate data in pursuance of a breach of traffic regulations. There are many other legislative opt-outs that individual member states across the EU 25 that have such provisions in place.

Actually, that was just a case of me firing off a quick post before realising I hadn't typed what my mind was thinking

Basically, if I can get my words around the thoughts in my brain, if x amount of member states have opted into a particular regulation, they can't then say that they don't agree with it's application in a particular case and that they actually prefer the domestic approach so they will effectively opt out of it in any given case. The law must apply across the board and have the same effect across the x amount of states so that above whatever laws any member state has in place, there is this uniform EU law.

Article 34 TFEU is a good example. Hope that helps because my brain hurt trying to put that right. Got employment and accounts spinning around in there at the moment. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

Don't pressure your grey cells into a premature death Doc.
Just designate EU regulation in the same manner as Spain: nod in agreement in Brussels, disregard in Madrid. Naturally with the caveat of, "but if it's good for us we will manipulate said regulation to optimise the benefit and ignore any liability for the misappropriation of EU funding."

I wouldn't be surprised if Mr Farage had something to say about it. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

I look at it like this. To enable them to monitor where you are and speed etc it would need a very good computer system and software to suit.

They can't even get get the benefits system, tax system right from a software point of view, so this would just crash and burn ( excuse the pun). Freelander 2 HSE Lux 2013MY - Barolo Black with Ivory Leather. Alpine DVD - Privacy -Evoque 20" Dynamic Wheels and more to come.........

The Land Rover In Control system as already fitted to the RR Evoque and coming soon to the rest of the range already allows the owner to call LR Assist just be pressing a button in the car and also it will call the Emergency Services if the airbags deploy. The system tells the receiver the location of the vehicle and direction of travel and in the case of LR Assist relays any error messages shown by the vehicle.

My Fiesta ST has got emergency assist integrated into the system. So long as my phone is connected by bluetooth, it dials 999 if I fail to do so within so many seconds of a crash and emits an audio code that can be decoded by the control room thus revealing your location by GPS co-ordinates. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey